Simple And Clean
by Avaris Sky
Summary: It's the 16th season of the lil' soap opera Hitomi likes to call her life. Will running away from home to live with a father she barely knows change her fate?(If you read one VxH AU fic this year, make it this one, savvy?)
1. Santa Monica

"…Regardless of the warnings the future doesn't scare me at all…"  

:: Hikari :: Utada Hikaru :: 

**Chapter One: Santa Monica**

I, Hitomi Kanzaki, from my many hours in TV land, know that every kid, no matter how morphine-hyped up happy their family is, has thought about doing this once or twice in their life. 

Only a few of them actual get up the nerve to do it, though.

Even fewer of them get more then a few miles outside of town before the cops pick them up and drop them back off home to a happy reunion with their parents. 

But after spending the last 3-months watching made-for cable TV movies about this highly temperamental subject while lounging around in my mother's spacious loft in NYC, I've perfected this art form in a sense that would make Claudia from _The Mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_ cry tears of joy.

You see, to the untrained mind, running away from home is simply something you do in the heat of the moment; storming out the front door with only your trusty Nike sneakers on your feet and your backpack full of PBJs. 

Don't get me wrong; I _did_ storm out the front door of my mother's highly fashionable loft that I've called 'home' for the past 3 years or so of my life, but I didn't stick out my thumb and hitchhike a ride to Canada or Tahiti with the first bum I saw. 

I may have done some retarded things in my short life, but if living in New York City has taught me anything it's that a scenario like that would've ended up with me either lying dead in a ditch somewhere or sitting at the Police station waiting for my mother to pick me up after her latest photo shoot. Which of the two evils are the lesser, I don't know. 

So I, being the intelligent 16-year-old daughter of a famous fashion model and a highly renowned lawyer that I am, did the next best thing after the classic running away plan.

I bought a one-way first class plane ticket to Santa Monica, California on my mother's Visa card. 

Brilliant, huh? 

The best part of the plan was that I wasn't running away _from_ home. 

I was running _to_ it, as sappy as that sounds.  

But I guess I should start out with the reason I was running away from home. 

It was my 16th on this little place we call Earth. It was also the 16th season of the soap opera I enjoy calling my life, starring Allen Schezar, my mother's latest boy toy. 

You see, no matter how you look at it, Allen Schezar, was, and is, the bane of my existence, and, quite frankly the reason I was standing at JFK airport waiting for the 9:20 flight to California. 

My life went spiraling downward when two weeks ago, when Allen Schezar, agent/ boyfriend to the lovely and talented model, Millerna Aston popped the question to _her_.  Allen Schezar dropped to one knee and proposed to her, Millerna Aston, AKA my divorcée _mother._

I had almost choked on my cream-cheese covered bagel when I had heard. **_Allen_**? 

Allen… he is, in one word… perfect.

With his spun gold hair and charming personality that made my mother's friends' knees go promptly into jell-o, my feelings towards him were nothing short of pure utter most disdain. 

… I-I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason, but even with all the honey-sweet smiles and sugary compliments Allen made towards me, and my mother's pleas that I at lest made a effort to like him… I still couldn't trust him. There just was something… _menacing_… about him that made my hair stand on end whenever he touched me.

And then, as the say in the fast food industry; the onion rings just fell out of the deep fryer and into the fire. 

Allen had placed into my mother's mind, by, what I strongly suspect was brain washing, the brilliant idea of moving our happy soon-to-be little family to Paris.

Paris as in Paris, France. 

Yes, the one on the other side of the pond where everyone speaks French.

Needless to say, I'd rather swallow poison then spend the rest of my natural teenage life living with the happy lovebirds in Allen's family home. It was bad enough that I would be calling the pretty-boy 'daddy-dearest', but they didn't have to resort to cruel and unusual punishment.  

But, after a lengthy debate and my mother's promises that if I did swallow the poison, she'd bring me back from the dead, and still make me move to Paris, here I am, running to the only person in the entire world who could possibly talk my mother out of making me move with her and Allen-Poo to Paris.

And that person happened to be my father, Dryden Fassa, attorney at law. 

You see, the Plan A  was that once I was over at my father's beach house in California, he'd have no choice but to help me find a loophole in the law that didn't allow mother's to drag their only child half-way across the world to live with her crazed fiancé. 

And if there wasn't a loophole in the law, Plan B was that I'd duck tape myself to my four-poster bed and wait for my mother to come and collect me. You see then, in a clever ploy that was totally a last ditch effort, I was hoping at least there was a sliver of humanity left in Millerna so that she would she how much happier I was living with my father in California then living with her and blond-boy wonder in France. It was a long shot, but if push came to shove, I might just make it with the leverage help from a cute pair of shoes… knocking Mr. Shezar and his happy little French life out of the picture for me. 

How my parents had even lasted as long together as they had has been a mystery to me. Millerna and my father had met while my dad was in law school, and had met at a classy restaurant that my dad ate at after classes where Millerna was working part time to make her way through modeling school. 

Well, one thing led to another and… after visiting a local bar one night… well let's, just say hormones kicked in.

They got married shortly after they found out Millerna was pregnant with me. 

But shortly after I was born things just… well, everything just went out the window… including their marriage. 

Millerna gets all flustered whenever I ask her about it, so the subject doesn't come up very often. 

Marlene, my aunt, told me that it had something to do with their jobs, that Dad wanted to move our happy little family out to California to where his law firm was, while Mom wanted to stay in New York because that's where she worked as a model. 

Well that's what Marlene told me at least. I've personally always preferred the version of the story that involved the fact that my father happened to be a spy for the CIA. Since he was always away trying to stop a worldwide nuclear war from starting, their marriage just kind of fell apart. 

Hey, it could've happened, right? 

Anyway, after the divorce, I ended up growing up in my mother's loft in New York. I always had a strong feeling that the Aston good looks and charms had somehow swayed the judge into awarding her custody of me, but I never voiced that idea. 

After that, Dryden used to visit me every month and we'd go to Central Park or some place like that, and play. 

Once I got older, I then spent the summers at his beach house about 20 minutes outside of Santa Monica. Those summers where the only light in my dark world on endless photo shoots and my mother's whirlwind of boyfriends. Everything was just so much simpler living with my father then with Millerna. For the first time in my life, I was happy and felt loved. 

Dryden… just… he never had to buy my affection like Millerna tried to with expensive gifts; he just loved me without question. That, not the closet full of trendy cloths and shoes, had always been enough for me. Growing up in a world of flashy lights and cheap thrill, the raw emotions of pure platonic love for me, was like breathing for the first time. Spending the summers with Dryden had been and probably will ever be the closest thing to happiness that I've ever been.

So, after my mother broke the news to me over dinner in a snazzy restaurant that we're moving with Allen-Poo to Paris, it became clear to me that the only thing between me and eating caviar and French bread for the rest of my natural life was Daddy Dryden.

Hence the plane ticket to Santa Monica in a last-ditch effort to live out my remaining teenage years in happiness. 

"Now boarding Flight 468 to Santa Monica." The loudspeaker chirped happily. 

Taking a deep breath, I slipped the strap of my duffel bag more securely over my shoulder before approaching the boarding entrance. 

Cheers mate, to a new life. 

**A/N:** *sniff*… My first AU… Beautiful stuff, huh? Decided to throw out the cookie cutter for this one, so I have no idea where this might go.

And, to any French readers, I have nothing against you, or your country, its just Allen struck me as a French kind of guy. No offense was meant to anyone by Hitomi's lack of wanting to move to France, savvy? And while on this note, I'm not suggesting that running away from home will solve any of your problems. In fact, unless you happen to have a parent that's as awesome as Dryden is to run to, I'm pretty sure that you'd be multiplying your problems by trying to make it on your own. Seriously, I'm like paying Hitomi to do it for the dramatic content. 

Inspiration is from MaboroshiTsuki's **Come Home To Me. **Everyone go read it. Now. Or Else. 

Mmmmmmmhmmmm… and if anyone has any ideas where this should go, please drop me some ideas, I think I might be over my head in this one. Waaay over my head in fact. So, show some support, eh? Drop me a review or three! 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne or it's likeness. And as far I know, this idea hasn't been done before, so if I find anyone stealing, that means I reserve the right to inflict mass genocide upon the thief. 

Version 2 


	2. Homecoming

"…All around the world statues crumble for me; who knows how long I've loved you…"

**:: Fly ::  Sugar Ray :: **

Chapter Two: Homecoming 

With duffel bag firmly in tow and $39.82 left from the gleanings of mommy-dearest's purse earlier this on lovely Friday morning, your gorgeously beautiful heroine, AKA me, looked upon Daddy Dryden's beachside abode; a Victorian style white edifice standing out starkly against the dark blue ocean in the background. 

"Welcome home." I mumbled, mounting the steps while trying to deny the pit of anxious emotions growing in stomach as the transportation of choice for the stylish runaway-- the taxi--- sped away, taking my last chance to chicken out and go back to Millerna's _willingly_ with it. 

With an ugly _thud_, I dropped my duffel unto the glossy white steps of the front porch; my eyes stinging slightly as I stooped down to tilt the flowerpot carefully so the potted dahlias wouldn't fall out. My fingers eagerly felt around the dirty underside of the pot. 

Nothing. 

I peered into the cobwebby undergrowth of the terracotta pot. 

No familiar glint of a brass key met my eyes. 

"Peachy… just peachy…" I groaned, rocking back so I was crouched on my heels.

From my keenly acute memory of last summer, I knew that the good ol' parental unit wouldn't be returning back to the beachside abode until 6:00-ish from the usual runabout of attorney work, which was another five hours or so of camping out on my own front porch like a unwanted dog. I wasn't keen on doing that, but sighing dejectedly, I collapsed on the front steps next to my duffel bag, knowing that I really didn't have much of a choice.

I felt like crying; my perfect escape plan, foiled by a mere piece of metal. I had no choice but to wait here on the front porch like a naughty little kid who had been caught with their hand in the cookies jar until Dryden came home, and hope that he was in a good mood for adopting random runaways. 

The sane part of my mind wanted to call Dryden on my cell phone and have a lovely heart to heart moment in which I tell him that I've ran away from home and now was camped out on his front porch. But the nervous feeling growing inside of me wouldn't let me do it… maybe some things… like this, are better done tête-à-tête as the much disdained French say, or face-to-face. 

So, I sat there on the front porch working on my tan for almost half an hour, watching the clouds and the expensive cars go by, feeling like I was going to decorate the pristine white porch of the front with the contents of my uneasy stomach. 

_Riiiiiiiiiing Riiiiiiiiing Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

"Crap…" 

I scrambled towards my duffel, biting my lips nervously as I frantically searched through it for my cell phone. With numb fingers I pulled it out of my duffel, and punched the button. 

"H-hello?" 

"Hitomi? Hitomi is that you?" The man's voice seemed clipped and worried, and in the background I could vaguely make of the noises of the noontime traffic of a downtown road. 

"Hi Daddy…" I half-whispered, my hand tightening round the cell phone. 

"Where are you? Are you safe? What's going on?" Dryden's voice continued, rapid firing questions. 

"I… ummm… I'm fine…" I swallowed hard, biting my lip almost hard enough to draw blood. "I'm fine, really." 

Dryden sighed raggedly before continuing, "You're mother just called me… she's hysteric, said that she couldn't find you anywhere." 

I almost dropped the phone in shock.

She _noticed_ that I was gone? After failing to notice how stock raving miserable I had been for the past _three years_, she suddenly decided to be the mother of the year and notice that I had skipped school and was nowhere to be found? 

Of course, she hadn't had the sense to actually call _me_ on my cell phone, but to notice that I wasn't sulking in the corner dreaming about being anywhere but in New York, defiantly was a step up for Millerna.  

"Hitomi Aston," Dryden's voice snapped me out of my pensive, "Where are you?" 

"Kanzaki." I corrected listlessly, "Hitomi Kanzaki, not Hitomi Aston… I'm not my mother's daughter."   

Dryden's voice softened, either at the mention of my mother's birth maiden name or at the broken sound in my voice at her mention.  

"Honey, where are you?" 

A seagull shrieked loudly above. 

So much for breaking the news face-to-face. 

"Weeeeeeelll…" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~****

I numbly watched my father's sleek sports car pull into the driveway about half an hour later. 

Despite all the mental encouragement that my plan foolproof, there still was that nagging little voice in the back of my mind that maybe… just _maybe_… Dryden didn't want to be a fulltime father figure to a 16 year-old runaway. 

But I brushed it off, it's not like I had cooties or anything; I mean, I'm a good kid, up to date on all of my shoots, I didn't have any outstanding hygiene problems and even got, as a bonus, respectable markings in school. 

All in all, I was a pretty good kid, apart from running away from home, skipping school today, gleaning from mommy-dearest's purse a fistful of stolen booty money, and a wee bit of credit card fraud… but other then that, I was a bright shining example of America's youth. 

Dryden's tall form slide out of the driver's side door of the car, his brow furrowed with thought as he looked at me. 

My father was one of the those people who never seemed to physically age; with his curly dark brown hair pulled back into a sophisticatedly masculine ponytail that he always wore while working, and those suave sunglasses sliding done the bridge of his nose, that as a child I'd always beg to wear, he looked the same at 37 as he did at 21 in his wedding photos. 

He shook his head at me, a faintly pleased smile across his face.

"You, my dear, defiantly take after your old man and hence are in **_very_** big trouble." 

I stood up, dusting off my clingy designer denims and straightening out my dark green tee, returning his grin as I moved to hug him.

"I missed you too Daddy." 

He affectionately rumpled my short hair, his arm around my shoulders as he took my duffel from me. 

"C'mon, let's go get this entire thing sorted out." 

I nodded, following him into the house, feeling like I had come home. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~****

I sat out on the back porch with a bowl full of the fine cuisine; macaroni and cheese, looking out at the sunset on the ocean, eavesdropping on bits and pieces of Dryden's conversation with Millerna.   

"Millerna… yes… I know… I **know**—**" **

"---But you can't deny the fact that she's been unhappy…" 

"It kills me every time to put her back on the plane every summer…"

"Yes, I know she's your daughter too… but you can't humanly expect her to want to follow your footsteps—" 

"…Sunday?"

"Fine… yes…"

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"…" 

" Alright… talk to you then on Sunday…" 

I nervously swirled my spoon through the pasta, my eyes blurred with tears as Dryden stepped through the screen door that led to the porch, collapsing into a wicker chair next to mine. 

"Well?" 

He ran a hand through his hair, "She's throwing a royal diva fit; but she said that you can stay." 

Relief flooded through me as I sniffed, wiping my eyes.

"Thank you…"  

He nodded, looking up at the sky, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

"There's only one catch." 

I swallowed back a loo of unpleasant words. 

"What is it?" I asked through clenched teeth. 

I knew, if there was one thing that my mother didn't like; it was not having her own way.

Hence how I had spent the past three years trapped in a sailor style uniform while attending a Catholic girls-only private academy known for turning out some of society's finest young women since 1904, in hopes of refining my wild tom girlish appearance and spirits.

Dryden sighed tiredly; "She and Allen are flying out here on Sunday. They want to spend some family time together before the wedding." 

Lovely. 

Bonding time with mommy-dearest and the crazy blond man. The highlights of my childhood all over again. 

**A/N:** Whew… Sorry it took so long to update, this has got to be the eighth draft of this chapter… I had originally planned out Hitomi's reunion with some of the gang to be in this chapter, but I was having some major problems with keeping Dilly and Van in character. I'll try again in the next chapter, which is defiantly gonna be longer. And include actual **_dialogue_**. Big stuff there. I haven't gotten much into actual conversations between characters yet because I've been trying to establish Hitomi's character in this, but I think after only having maybe a dozen spoken sentences, it's defiantly about time we move on to other things.  

Alrighty, I got to that a bit in this chapter, but basically, Millerna changed her maiden surname to the more sophisticated sounding 'Aston' because it had a lot more star power then 'Millerna Kanzaki'. From my understanding, wanna-be actors and models do this all the time. And since Hitomi's relationship really isn't that great with her mother, Hitomi kept Kanzaki as her surname, instead following in her mother's footsteps and changing it to Aston, that little rebel, her. 

But we'll get into that a little bit more as things go on

… Which will be sooner rather then later if you review… 

**R&R! **

**Grrl N:** =^_^= I'm glad you liked it… and thanks for reviewing!  

**jossi-31:** I'm gonna get into what happened during the divorce later on… Thanks for reviewing! 

**NOOOOOOOO:** Post it. Go ahead. It really wouldn't bother me.  Scout's honor. 

**Aya_chan:** Thanks for reviewing, and I think I've found my inspiration. 

**Nightheart:** Yeah… I usually don't read AUs either, unless it's by CxV or MaboroshiTsuki, because they're just awesome.   

**Onigiri Momoko:** *cackle* I love Dryden; I think he would make one of the most awesome person to have as father from _Escaflowne_… Thanks for reviewing! 

**SabineballZ: **=^_^= Yeah, Hitomi got her looks from Dryden's side of the family. I'll get more into that later, once Millerna joins the party. Thanks for reviewing!

**Cyber1:** Thanks for reviewing! 

**Savvy:** _Pirates of the Caribbean_; was an awesome movie. I say 'savvy' all the time, no matter where or what fandom I'm in… non-PotC people look at me as if I'm crazy though… *sigh* Thanks for reviewing! 

**Lady Luna:** Yeah… I'm thinking that she'll meet up with our lovely raven-haired boyo in the next chapter.  How, I'm not too sure of, but I'm sure it will turn out great. Thanks for reviewing!

**hitomi21:** *points at author's notes* I hope that answers it for you. Thanks for reviewing!

**MO:** Oh my cow… your review was the greatest… Even though Hooked on Phonics is the evil spawn of the devil and the reason the only way that I could even write in English is by using the spell check every ten seconds because it screwed me over royally on teaching me how to spell, but that's another story. Thanks for reviewing!

**dawnsama:** =^_^= Even us idiots get lucky when picking realistic love triangles. Thanks for reviewing!

**Neinna:** ^_^ I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing! 

**ME:** *points at author's notes* I hope that answers it for you. Thanks for reviewing!

**snow blossoms:** *nods* Yes, this will be a hardcore VxH fic because they are the best. Thanks for reviewing!

**QM: ** Thank you so much fore reviewing! Mhmmm… Like you suggested, there will probably less of Hitomi's thoughts/comments from this point because I've pretty much established her character. Plus, I'm going to start introducing the rest of the characters so that will help out with evening things out. 

Ava Lehn Sky 

Sept 6, 2003 

Version 1 


	3. Here With Me

"… In my heart, I had hope, built on dreams I'll never know… All the answers true love left behind… Visions fill my head, I felt so trapped… but that didn't seem so bad 'cause You where here…"

:: Here With Me :: Plumb ::  

**Chapter Three: Here With Me**

_The sky seems so far away. _

_I scream, but my pleas for help comes as nothing more then a gurgle of bubbles. Water fills my lungs instead of air as I struggle upwards, towards the sky. _

_It seems so far away. Why can't I reach it…? _

_My arms and legs feel as if they are made of lead… It hurts to think… My lungs feel as if I swallowed fire rather then liquid death… _

_I can see shadows… shapes… faces… moving in the water above me. _

_Help me…? _

Splash

_Arms close around my torso, and I cling to my rescuer as we move towards the sky… Air fills my lungs, and my breath comes out in sputters and gasps… We float there… between the sea and the sky… just my angel and me… I…_

"Well, well, well," said a distinctly masculine voice from above me, "Someone looks like crap."  

I lolled my head to the side, and the sight of a silver haired boy my age greeted me as he quite cheekily grinned at me, as he looked me over from head to toe from his perch at the end of the couch. 

"Missed you too, Dilandau." 

The older boy's smile disappeared, and he raised his pieced eyebrow slightly as he surveyed the empty DVD cases and popcorn bags that littered the living room where I had fallen asleep last night watching movies, "Rough night?" 

"Nightmares." 

"Ah." 

I sighed, pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes, blocking out the bright, cheerful Californian sunshine that cascaded through the windows of the living room, "What are you doing here anyways?" 

"Your dad asked my mom to have me check in on you because he went into the office," Dilly said plainly, opening a can of soda with a faint _pop_, "So what's up? We're a little early for bikini season, aren't we?" 

I sighed, sitting up and pulling my knees up to my chest and looking out the window to avoid looking my next-door-neighbor-a-la-best-guy-friend in the eyes.  

"Well?" He asked, sipping his pop coolly. 

"I ran away from home." 

Dilly coughed, spitting out some of his soda, "You did _what_?" 

"I spilt on my mum and Allen," I stood up, and padded barefoot towards the kitchen, "You want something to eat?" 

"How? When?" He demanded, following after me with a faint trail of the sugary beverage running down his chin, "Where you _stoned_ or something?"  

"I stole Millennia's credit card and bought a plane ticket about a week ago, and then I flew out yesterday afternoon. And I might be from New York, but I don't do drugs, stupid," I pulled out a box from within a cupboard, "Coco pebbles?" 

Dilly limply sat down on a stool, looking at me as if he'd never seen me before in proper lighting, "Has anyone ever told you that you're really hott whenever you rebel against the system?"  

I rolled my eyes and poured the tooth-decay causing cereal and milk into two bowls, "I learned from the best."  

Dilly's eyes glazed over as he accepted his bowl of cereal, "We should burn down the neighborhood and celebrate your homecoming tonight. Fanel and I have been looking for a good reason to break out the potato launcher. " 

I laughed, "Just like old times…" 

He nodded, grinning, happy little pyro thoughts obviously bouncing around in his head, "Heh… before I forget…" He shifted to the side and pulled out a tell-a-tale piece of legal pad paper from the back pocket of his baggy camouflaged cargo pants, "You're Dad told me to give this to you when he stopped over to talk to my mum." 

I unfolded the crumpled paper, which smelled faintly both of my father's aftershave and of Dilly's pineapple scented surfboard wax. 

_Kido, _

_Had a court hearing that I couldn't reschedule for this morning. But I got us a reservation at Mo LeMan Café for a lunch date at 1:00 with your old man. See you there. _

My spoon fell into my bowl with a metallic _tink, _sloshing milk unto the counter. 

"What?" Dilly asked, peering over my shoulder. I handed him the note. 

"So? You've been there dozens of times." 

I nodded, that was true. I had been to Mo LeMan Café often with Dryden during my summer vacations. It was a ritzy little beachside café where Santa Monica's elite goes and eats over-priced pasta and lobster dishes. 

That's where the real problem starts. 

Now, when you're going to have some bonding time with your parental unit in which you're going to beg them to let you stay with them forever (or at least until you graduate from high school and move away to further the educational experience), you've gotta look nice. Like Daddy's little girl nice. Like, 'hey-I-really-want-to-be-your-full-time-daughter' nice. Hence this was chic little sundress territory.

Normally, me looking nice wasn't a big deal. I'm not saying that I inherited the all of the 'Kanzaki-Aston' beauty genes or anything; but I've been whistled and honked at by truck drivers and the random construction worker, if you know what I mean. 

No, the problem was that all of my 'hey-I-really-want-to-be-your-full-time-daughter' chic little designer sundresses happened to be in my closet. 

On the other side of the continent. 

Which, owing the fact I had made my getaway from New York with only a duffel bag full of casual clothes --- you know, jeans and vintage shirts and the sort --- so finding a sun dress was defiantly an issue. 

"Earth to Hitomi…!" Dilly waved his hand in front of my face, his spoon hanging out of the side of his mouth, "What's wrong?" 

"Fashion emergency." 

"Wha? You look fine." Dilandau confusedly said.  

I glanced down at the rather clingy designer jeans and dark green tee that I had been wearing since my arrival yesterday and which where slightly worse for the wear having been slept in last night. Males, no sense of fashion. 

"No… I… I need to look extra-nice today… I'm going to ask if I can move here permanently," I twisted my index finger nervously in my hair, deeply immersed in deep thought about this perplexing enigma.

I still had some stolen pirate booty left from Millennia's purse… But at best it was enough to order a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese; which wasn't nearly enough to venture out on a campaign for a new dress. 

My eyes fell on the phone resting against the wall. This defiantly was a job for a friend-gone fairy godmother that wears the same size clothes as me. 

Scrambling across the kitchen, I bee lined for the phone, dialing the first number that came to mind.

_Riiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiing… Riiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiing… _

"Who are you---?" Dilly mouthed, taking the spoon out of his mouth. 

"Yukari." I mouthed back, sliding down against the wall so I was sitting on the cold tile floor. 

"Hello?"  Came a female voice on the other end, barely audible over some punk music. 

"Boo."  

"'Tomi?! Hey girl, what's going on?" 

"A fashion emergency…" I traced little patterns on the floor with my finger nervously, "Umm…can I come over?"  

Silence. 

"A-are you on drugs or something Hitomi--?" 

"_Drugs_?" What is it with these people? "Yukari, I---"  

"— we can seriously get help for you--- "  

"Yukari…!" I staggered to me, feet, ignoring the raised eyebrow my male audience was giving me. 

"---I know things are different in New York, but just know that we're totally behind you---" 

"Yukari Yvania Uchida: look out your bedroom window," I ordered, rolling my eyes as I deftly unlocked the sliding screen door to the side porch, stepping out unto it. Dilly followed me, grinning and with cereal bowl in tow. 

"Wha?" Yukari sounded a little miffed to be cut short in her anti-drug speech, "Why?" 

"Just do it." 

Pause. 

Yukari's red hair bobbed into view of her bedroom window two houses down the street. I waved frantically at her, a huge Cheshire cat grin plastered to my face. 

"*^%*…" Yukari's voice seemed to be very far away, "You've got a lot of explaining to do…" 

A/N: Well? WELL? Horrible excuse for an update, I know… And before all you rabid shippers come chasing after me, Dilly and Hitomi are just close-friends. I'm a V/H shipper all the way, baby… *evil cackle* Speaking of which… Van will be in this fic… I _promise_. I cut this chapter short then what I was planning to, to keep with tradition of the chapter lengths, but there will be some Fanelage in the next chapter. 

**Grrl N:** I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for reviewing! 

**Thundersenshi17:** Hey you! Long time no see, girly! *Sniffle* Jeez… You're making me get all-nostalgic… Leather speed-os… what good times… *sigh* I probably should finish that fic, huh? To tell the truth, I really don't want to. It just doesn't seem right somehow, ya' know, ending something like that…

**Jossi-31: **I already have some ideas _why_, but depending how the next few chapter go, Allen and Millerna might be going to be staying there at least until near the end of the fic. Horrible, I know, but I have this really great idea that just suits this fic _perfectly_. 

**Dariel: ***^_~ Ahhh… jeez… you're too kind. I'm glad you like it, I'm really nit-picking about how much sarcasm I put in the chapters, I'm always afraid I'm putting it over the top. Well, thanks for R&R! 

**MO:  **=^_^= Yeah, it's gonna be a riot once the happy lovebirds come. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head; I barely know where to start with them. *Dreamy sigh* This is going to be **_so_** much fun to write!!!!!! 

**One_Mean_Rabbit: ***cackle* I love Allen bashing, but only when it's done properly and sophisticatedly, which makes it even better. Thanks for reviewing! 

**Niffer: ***Grin* I'm glad you like it, and I'll be sure to check out some of your fics. I'm kinda slow when it comes to getting the time to read though, so it might be a while. 

**Burnt_Ashes: **I was really afraid in the beginning to write Dryden and Millerna in as Hitomi's parents. This is my very first AU, and I was really worried because I've never seen/heard of anyone else doing something like this before. I think it's turned out pretty spiffy so far though, huh? Thanks for R&R! 

**Nightheart: **Jeez… you're making blush… I'm still getting hang of this entire writing thing compared to others around here on ff.net *cough* CinderellaxVan *cough* 

**Lavender: **I'm really glad you like this. Thanks for R&R! 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne… well… that's a lie… I do… seriously… I own every single episode… just not copyrights to it… so there, I'm glad we go that cleared up… Carry on with the R&R-love now, peoples. 

October 27, 2003 

Version 1


	4. This Side of Me

"All day staring at the ceiling, making friends with shadows on my wall… All night hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something…"

:: Unwell:: Matchbox 20 ::

**Chapter Four: This Side of Me**

So, five minutes later we arrived at Miss Yukari Yvania Uchida's house of fashion. Her house, minus the exception of punk music that could be hear blaring from inside, looked similar to mine; old 1890's Victorian glory with cute gable and tea garden icing on top, a sense of fashion that all the other houses along with our street shared.

Anyways, I had just been attempting to rearrange my coiffeur back into order because I hadn't had time to brush it, when the front door burst open and a blur of safety pins, camouflage print, and pink hair promptly emerged and then tackled me.

"Hitomiiiii!! Imissedyousooooomuch!"

"Hi…Merle…" I panted; being hugged with enough force to crush all the bones in my chest, "Missed… you…"

The fifteen year old girl clad in a camouflage print mini-skirt and a clingy black tee shirt that had Cat Women's likeness on it, grinned, her smile painfully similar to that of her older brother Van's. She stepped back, looking me over from head to toe.

"You look like crap," She concluded, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"So I hear," I looked past her to where Dilly was leaning in the doorframe. The silver haired boy simply winked at me, as Yukari's red head bobbed into view behind Dilly's muscular shoulder.

"Are you coming in?" My best friend demanded, "We've got a lot of work to do!"

I wrinkled my nose, sticking my tongue out at her, "Gee, thanks."

 "Don't touch that," Yukari snapped at Dilly as she riffled through her closet. Dilly had been looking quite curiously at the red-head's latest masterpiece; a painting who's subject look a great deal like a impressionist portrayal of Merle.

Dilly frowned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy pants, a mock-pouting expression on his face as he sat down on Yukari's bed next to me, "It's not like I was going to give her a tail or anything."

Yukari just laughed, attempting, however, as discretely as possible to push her painting out of sight.

Merle emerged from Yukari's walk-in-closet, a small mountain of pastel colored fabrics in her arms, followed closely by Yukari who had another mound of sun dresses. Merle pushed her overnight bag off of Yukari's futon and they both dropped their loads unto it.

"Anything in particular 'Tomi? Or do you want to play dress-up?"  Merle asked distantly, rummaging through the pile.  

"How 'bout this one?" Yukari held up a white cotton gauze dress that had eyelet trim and spaghetti straps.

Merle squealed and grabbed it from the redhead, "I've been looking all over for this! I thought I had lost it! I wanted to wear it on my date with Chesta, but I couldn't find it anywhere!"

"Wait," my jaw dropped, "Chesta-Chesta? The pizza deliver boy? You went out on a date with _Chesta_!? When? Where was I? How come nobody tells me any of the good gossip!?"

Dilly groaned and rolled over, burying his head under Yukari's black pillow, "Someone kill me…"

Yukari giggled, and threw the sundress at me.

"Try it on in, we'll be waiting downstairs for the fashion show," She said, locking arms with Merle as they disappeared through the door.

I looked over at Dilly who had rolled over and was now staring at me with a lazy smile.

I cleared my throat, raising an eyebrow, "You too buddy."

"Oh," he sat up and moved towards the door, "_Right_."

I spun around in front of Yukari's full-length mirror after I had slipped the dress on over my head.

_"You're going to be beautiful one day, Miss Hitomi, just like your mother!" _

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and rid my self of my uncertainty, of this little, itty-bitty part of my heart that suddenly felt… bad… about running away.

 Millerna probably only wanted to have me back in NY to flaunt to all of her friends… and in Paris to impress Allen's family.

She was many things, my mother; a drop-dead gorgeous model, a horrible cook, a terrible flirt… but… she _was_ my mother.

Aren't mothers and daughters supposed to have this deep emotional bond?

Why didn't I have one?

Wait… when did I even start to _want_ one?

I frowned, and nervously twirled a single strand of hair between my fingers.

Maybe I should've tried talking things out with Millerna…?  

No.

I did the right thing.

Nothing short of fireworks would've gotten Millerna's attention to my unhappiness, and credit card fraud definitely qualified as that.

But… maybe I should've left a _note_ at least on the kitchen counter… But would I've said?

_Dear mommy and crazy blond man, _

_Taking recent events into full perspective, I have come to the conclusion that from henceforth I am going to be finically, emotionally, and grammatically independent from you. In other words, I'm running away from home and you'll never see me again._

_Love, _

_Hitomi _

_PS: Please send my stuffed animals and PS2 to Daddy Dryden's house._

Running a hand through my short hair in frustration, I stood up, walking abruptly over to Yukari's memory wall.

She had started covering the wall the summer before I started visiting Dryden, and it was covered with photos and small objects from throughout her childhood and her teenage years. I stepped closer, hoping to calm myself.

One of the pictures showed me at 10 building a sand castle with my hair twisted up in pigtails. Another was of Amano sticking out his tongue out at Yukari and me as we sat on the swings at the park. There was Dilly playing with his first lighter. Merle hiding up in the branches of a tree to get away from Dilly's dog, Miss Sparkles (well, actually, it was Dilly's mom's dog but growing up Dilly was rarely seen apart from her). One taken last year at Van's house of me being swung around in circles by Van.

I reached out and touched Van's smiling face.

I didn't belong with Millerna and Allen. I belonged here.

I wonder what he was doing now…?

I followed the frenzy of war cries to the rec room in the basement of the Uchida household, unconsciously tugging on the hem of the dress. On Merle it had came down to just below her knees, but on me, thanks to the Kanzaki-Aston genes, came to a stop a few inches above my knees, showing off my long tanned legs.

Not exactly 'daddy's-little-girl' but at least it was something.

Merle and Yukari where sprawled across the floor going over the latest issue of _Seventeen_, while Dilly, and what sounded like someone else, where sitting out of sight on the far side of the couch playing a rather violent video game.

"Hey! You! Yeah, you! The ugly, green, and terminally unwashed thing! Come here and fight like a man!"

"Dieeeeee, boney thing! Dieeeeeeeeeee!"

**_Boys _**

"Ahem," I coughed, dropping a makeshift courtesy.

Merle and Yukari looked up, twin grins spreading across both of their faces as Dilly's silver head popped up from the other side of the couch, followed closely by the messy black one of Van Fanel.

'Game Over' flashed on the screen behind them as Dilly let out a low whistle.

"Niiiiice."

Van punched him in the arm.

I blushed, and scuffed my khaki colored flip-flop against the wood floor.

"Hey."

The raven-haired boy grinned lopsidedly at me.

"Hey."

**A/N: **ducks Alright, alright, before I get anything harmful thrown at me, Van's there to pick Merle up because she spent the night at Yukari's house. More Fanelage will ensue. Promise. I just need to get the fluff ball rolling, and the awkward teenage hormones will keep coming.

**Stormyrose:** I'm glad you like this so far, and thanks for reviewing!

**Andreyla Dragon:** Don't worry I won't stop now, baby dah de dadah! (Thanks for singing… Err… reviewing )

**Dariel: **;; Maybe I should copyright 'Fanelage' and 'Mo LeMan' and make millions, eh? The italics at the beginning of the last chapter where part of a reoccurring nightmare/vision (hint: Remember in the series when Hitomi kept having that vision of falling into the dark scary abyss of no return, and the angel saves her…? Think along those lines… inserts scary foreboding music)

**Niffer: **sigh I love Dilly, so of course, Hitomi has to too… but in a platonic way because this is a VxH… yeah… thanks for reviewing!

**MaboroshiTsuki: **I'm glad you like this O-Great-And-Mighty-One bowbowbowbow (; Don't kill me, I couldn't resist…) … giggle Thanks for reviewing…

**Onigiri Momoko: **Like I said to Niffer,I love Dilly, so of course, Hitomi has to too… but in a platonic way because this is a VxH… All right, I'll get back to work… thanks for reviewing!

**Dreamingofflyingaway: **Grin I'm glad you like this so far, and thanks for reviewing!

**dawnsama: ** I'm really bad at remembering to update… or even to write… I sat down this morning at the computer and was like 'Hey, I should write something' BAM! Here we are four hours and some odd minutes later with a new chapter… It's really sad. Well, Thanks for reviewing!

**Kim: **OO Yes ma'am goes back to writing

**Burnt Ashes: **wipes away fake tear Ya gotta love potato launchers. Thanks for reviewing!

**Wink57CS: ** My brother built a potato launcher over the summer, and then he and some of his friends decided to launch potatoes and then try to catch with them needless to say, things didn't turn out how they planed.

**CharlieTheOtakuNymph: **;; Glad to be of service.

**hitomi-chan: **Never fear! More Fanelage a la fluff is coming soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**SabineballZ: **The drug jokes where sort of an inside joke. I have a friend from NY and I always tease her about it because in movies based in NYC they show at least one person addicted to drugs. Well, anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**jossi-31: **Never fear! More Fanelage a la fluff is coming soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**Grrl N: **I had fun writing the conversation on the phone and the one with Dilly, and I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing!

**snow blossoms**: The entire confrontation is going to be a riot to write, and it should be coming up within the next two chapters… I think … thanks for reviewing!

Version 2

June 23, 2004


	5. Tell Me a Secret

"…I want to feel your hand in mine; I want to feel that rush in my spine. I want to wear the scent of you, let this fantasy become real, because I am not afraid to let you see this side of me…"

            ::This Side of Me :: Savage Garden ::

**Chapter Five: Tell Me a Secret**

I remember the first time I met her.

Hitomi Kanzaki, that is.

I was at Dilandau's house, we where in the backyard throwing a football back and forth. My brother Folken was sitting on a bench swing near the fence, watching us as he talked with Dilandau's older sister, Seleana.

That's how the entire thing started I guess, with Seleana.

My brother had had a crush on the pale, blond haired violet-eyed girl since he had hit puberty. And now, at the highly esteemed age of 17, that little twig had stolen my brother from me. Yeah, sure, maybe I was being selfish, but you try watching your idol get all mushy over a _girl_ at age ten.

It hurts worse then catching a potato launched at 60 mph with your face. But that's another story.

Needless to say, I hated Seleana more then ever that summer. Whenever I wanted to play catch with Folken or play video games, he was always too busy doing something with Seleana. Even Merle, my younger sister fell prey to Seleana's charms, having tea parties together and playing with dolls. It drove me crazy.

So, being a genius trapped in a ten-year-old boy's body, it didn't take long for me to figure out, that if I throw the football _just right_, I would be able to hit her. Make her suffer for taking away the two most important people in the world from me. Hey, to a ten-year-old boy, physical violence solves _everything_.

So, I took my aim carefully, squeezing that inflated pigskin with all the hatred a boy could have for a brother and sister stealer, and let it fly.

It didn't hit her. Instead of knocking that little twig upside the head, the ball simply soared over her head – and the fence.

I chased after the football, climbing over the fence and landing in the neighbor's yard.

That's when I saw her.

She was sitting on the back porch of her house with her hair, which was longer then, twisted up in two ponytails; nothing but knees and elbows in her short denim shorts and a yellow t-shirt.

She looked up and smiled at me, her eyes, which were bright green, met mine.

That's the day when girls stopped having cooties.

It was her first summer visiting her father, so 'Dilly' and I quickly took the green-eyed tomboy under our wing. So the days passed. She came and went like the summer between our houses; sweet and fresh, and always on your mind, making you wish that it would last forever.

Slowly, I started to realize that I _liked_ her. It was unthinkable, but I had a crush on that little sandy haired girl.

So how did I show that I had a crush on her? I did what any other little boy with a crush on a girl would do. I tortured her.  
  
I did stupid stuff like pull on her hair, or sometimes I would chase her around her house with a squirt gun.

Anything to get her attention. Anything for her to look at me.

After a while she started to punch me after I teased her, or would fight back by stealing my water gun. Sometimes she would just stick her tongue out at me. No matter how she fought back, it of course, only made me want to tease her more.

After a while I stopped teasing her, mostly after how my brother told me that 'you can catch more flies with honey then with vinegar'.

I didn't believe him at first. But after she had lost her favorite sweatshirt at the beach, and we had spent days, just the two of us looking for it, I followed Folken's advice. I brought her _my_ favorite sweatshirt, a thick dark red one with a hood.

She smiled, and, much to her father, Mr. Fassa's disdain, you couldn't get her out of that sweatshirt to even wash it. I can remember him talking to Dilly's mother about it once while we where playing video games in the next room, he said that he had to wait until she fell asleep on most nights before he could wash it. I just laughed.

The three of us rarely parted, much like Hitomi and that sweatshirt, and we spent most nights sleeping outside in my tree house telling ghost stories or chasing after fireflies.

And slowly, I started to like her, more and more. She fascinated me. One minute she would be spitting watermelon seeds with Dilandau, the next she would be waltzing across our back porch on Folken's feet.

She was funny, smart, brave and had the most amazing eyes that I had ever seen. So that one time she smiled at me wasn't nearly enough. I wanted _more_.

I wanted to, well, hold her hand. Don't laugh, that was a big step for a 10 year-old boy who'd never liked a girl before.

I had it all planed out. It was the last day of summer, and she was going to leave in an hour to go to the airport to catch her flight. I was wearing my favorite red Nike shirt and had even 'borrowed' some of Folken's cologne, putting on enough to overwhelm a skunk.

Everything was perfect.

Except, when I climbed through her bedroom window, she was crying.

After an entire summer together, through all the cuts, bruises and tumbles, I had never seen her cry.

But she was now. And I didn't know what to do.

_"I don't want to go home," She sobbed into her pillow, clutching my sweatshirt against her chest, "I wanna stay here for ever and ever." _

_"Then stay." I said. It was simply enough. If you don't want to do something, then don't do it. Easy. "You can hide under my bed and I can bring you food everyday." _

_"Really?"_

_On impulse I wiped away a tear from her cheek. She smiled. That made her even more mine._

_"Really."_

_ "Going my way sailor?" Hitomi asked, leaning against the side of my car as I loaded Merle's overnight bag into the trunk. _

_"It'll cost you." I said, grinning cheekily. _

_"I'll do anything, I just need a ride to Mo LeMan's café," She said, smiling hopefully at me. _

_"Anything?"_

_"Anything.__ I'm desperate." She batted her eyes at me, "Pretty please help a damsel in distress Lord Van?" _

_I rolled my eyes._

_"Hop in." _

The car ride was almost in complete silence. Merle was sprawled out across the back seat sleeping, she and Yukari had probably stayed up most of the night watching chic flicks and talking.

"So, how have you been?" She asked softly, breaking the silence.

"Pretty good. Haven't blown off any limbs yet."

"Always a good thing not to do."

"You?" I asked, my knuckles tightening on the steering wheel, slightly, "Any Prince Charming in your life that I should beat up?"

She shook her head, looking out the window instead of looking at me, "No Prince Charming for this juvenile delinquent," she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, "What about you? Found true love yet between attempts of blowing your self up and surfing?"

"Nah," I pressed on the brakes as we came to a red light trying desperately to act cool, and not stare at her.

Silence.

"You…sure you don't think it's a bit too much?" Hitomi asked, shyly pulling at the hem of the dress, which rode up even higher on her legs as she was sitting.

I looked over at her, and her eyes met mine, a faint blush across her cheeks.

"You look really nice," I said truthfully.

Things haven't changed at all between us since that summer.

I swallowed, keeping my eyes on the road.

She's one of my best friends, why is this so hard?

"So… I'm having a bonfire Sunday night… Ya' wanna come?"

"Sure." She said simply, leaning her sandy haired head against the window, "The café is up here on the right."

I switched on my blinker, pulling up into the parking lot of the quaint French styled café.

"So, see ya' soon…?" She said, her hand on the door handle, a faint smile on her lips. 

I nodded, "See ya' soon."

She slowly slinked out of the car, straightening her dress and giving me one more heart-wrenching smile before disappearing past the flowered entrance of the café.

**A/N:** Long and fluffy. It's my apology for not updating in so long. And my excuse not to start wrapping my Christmas presents.

Merry Christmas to all, and please leave a review so that I can have a good night!

Avaris 'The Yunanator' Sky

Dec. 25th 2003

Version 1


	6. Chasing Venus

"…Staying awake to chase a dream; tasting the air you're breathing in… I know I won't forget a thing…"

: Falling Away With You : Muse :

**Chapter Six: Chasing Venus**

* * *

I laughed, shaking my head sadly as I padded barefoot into the kitchen to refill my glass with lemonade, "Try hitting the 'start' button in the middle of the controller; that usually works for me…"

"Oh. _Oh_," Dryden's voice sounded muffled over the sound of the video game, "I got it."

Biting back another laugh, I opened up the refrigerator and pulled out the chilled container, pouring its contents into my empty glass before returning it.

"You want anything, Dad?" I called out, leaning against the counter as I took a sip of the lemony-goodness.

"In a minute… _hey you_! Get back here for a proper fustigation…!"

I rolled my eyes. A derange model, and a psychotic video game playing lawyer. Oh the _loveliness_ of the gene pool I hail from.

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing… _

"I got it!" I called out, hastily taking another sip of the lemonade before I picked up the phone, "'Ello?"

"Gaaaaaaah! Where have you been! I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past _three_ _hours_." Yukari demanded, audibly turning down the tones of some punk band.

"In the shower… more recently playing video games with the parental unit…" I said, absently swirling the contents of my glass, the ice clinking against the sides.

"So how did it go?"

"Ah… it went… ok… He promised that if I want to stay here, it's my choice, not Millerna's… So he's going to phone my old school on Monday to get my transcripts sent out here,"

Yukari laughed, "Now, just because you're my bestest best friend Miss Kanzaki that doesn't mean that I'll be letting you copy off of me in class."

"Why do I have the feeling that it will be the other way around bestest best friend Yukari?"

"Because you're probably right," Yukari said as her phone began to beep faintly, "Hey, just a sec, I have another call. Hang on chopped de liver."

"Aye, aye captain," I answered dully, balancing the phone on one shoulder, I placed my hands behind me and slide up on top of the polished marble counter-top.

Dryden's heavy footsteps padded down the carpeted hall, his hair rumpled and grinning from ear to ear.

"I killed 6 of the storm troopers before they got me," He said proudly, opening up the fridge and pulling out a soda.

I grinned, "Nicely done, my young padawan apprentice."

"Yukari?" He asked, glancing at the phone balancing on my shoulder.

I nodded, "I'm on hold, so she must have a boy on the other line."

"Ah," He took a sip of the soda, grinning again, as turned to go back to the den, "Don't be long, the universe isn't going to save it's self, you know."

"Yessir," I replied, smiling lopsidedly as I mock saluted his retreating form.

"I have no idea, ask her yourself," Yukari said as the phone beeped again to signal a three way-call.

"You still there Hitomi?" Van asked. I could here Merle chattering away to Mrs. Fanel in the background.

"What's up?" I prompted, swinging a leg on top of the counter.

"Wanna hit the beach tomorrow morning with us?"

I groaned, leaning back against the cupboard, "I can't… Allen and Millerna are coming tomorrow, and Dad will probably be going out of his mind Millerna-prepping the house in the morning."

Pause.

"Ah…That's cool…" Van said slowly.

"Well… you know… you have already run away from home once Hitomi, skipping out of chores and not greeting your favorite family members isn't much worse," Yukari suggested cheerfully.

I laughed, "I probably shouldn't press my luck."

"Hey, don't worry; the beach isn't going anywhere…" I could hear the rustling of cloth and Mrs. Fanel's voice, "Mom's making you a welcome back cake or something of the sort… Remind me to drop it off, ok Yukari?"

"Yes, your majesty," Yukari grumbled, "I hate to cut this short, but if you two will excuse me, I have some toe nails to paint black…"

"Night bestest best friends Yukari and Van."

"Night," Van echoed, chuckling, "See you in the morning."

"Until we speak again then, adieu, my dearest lady and most foul gentleman," The red head quipped, turning back up the music.

_Click_

* * *

Bright, noon-time sunshine shined brightly into the polished kitchen, almost reflecting off of everything it touched.

Tiredly, I blew a stray hair out of my face, leaning up against the mop in my right hand.

Dryden had left me about two hours ago with instructions to clean up the house the best I could. In that time I, the city girl who whose bedroom was, frankly buried under three feet of clothing back in New York, had swept and mopped the floors, vacuumed the rugs, dusted and polished every inch of the house from top to bottom, and, believe it or not, washed the windows, and a numerous amount of other things that make me tired just thinking about.

Not too shabby, if I may say so, myself.

A key grated in the lock down the hall, and Dryden appeared in the kitchen shortly after, his arms laden with plastic grocery bags,

"You are amazing, 'Tomi," he said, dropping an armful of bags unto the counter, "I think I saw my reflection in the floor when I walked in," he stood up right and pulled off his sunglasses, "Can you grab the rest of the bags from the car, while I put these away…?"

I nodded, leaning the mop against the island, "No prob."

"Thanks…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, as I turned to make my way towards the door, "Hitomi?"

"Hmmm…?" I asked, turning around and walking backwards down the hall.

"Smile. She's not coming here to kill you in your sleep."

I gave him a wry half-smile, "Only if you say so, Dad."

The pavement was warm on my bare feet as I walked across the driveway towards Dryden's parked sports car, the trunk ajar and half-filled with bags.

Stifling a yawn, I slipped my wrists into the loops of two of the bags, heaving them out of the trunk as I heard a car door slam.

"Hey, are those _chips_?" Dilly asked, scrambling out of Van's car, a towel around his shoulders and his swim shorts half-dried, "I'm _starving._"

The silver haired boy took the bag from me, rifling through it, "This is…" he glanced at the watch on his wrist, "Hour _5_ without any food."

I smiled absently, nodding in sympathy, my eyes on Van and Yukari as they got out of the car and made their way up the drive.

Yukari had pulled on a pair of short shorts over her bikini bottom, her red hair now boarding on black from swimming, her cheeks sun kissed and her eyes dancing as she carried a large, foil wrapped tray that I could only assume was Mrs. Fanel's cake.

Van was walking slower after her, his hair tousled and damp from surfing, a smile twitching on his lips as our eyes met, his skin damp and golden, swim trunks hanging low from his hips…

"Earth to Hitomiiiiiii…" Dilly waved his hand in front of my face and I blinked, "Can I eat these?"

"Yeah," I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks heat up, "Yeah, you can have them if you carry these inside."

"Being able to help a damsel in distress and getting free food," Dilly winked at me as he took the bags from me, "Not a better combination in the world."

"Where do you want this?" Yukari asked holding up the cake, her eyebrows raised with curiosity she glanced behind her to see what I had been staring at so intently a second ago. Van stood to the side, still looking at me.

"In the refrigerator, if there's room…" I said, moving so she could get through the door.

"We're _so_ talking later, girly," she hissed, as she passed me by, she winked, the corner of her mouth twitching with a smirk.

I grinned sheepishly and nodded as she disappeared into the house.

"Hey," Van said, still smiling, "Missed some _killer_ waves this morning."

"Don't rub it in," I teased, pushing a stray hair behind my ear.

He glanced over my shoulder into the house, "Are the wicked witches here yet?"

I rolled my eyes, twisting the hem of my white tank top, "Ah… no… but if they don't come soon I think Dryden is going to have a heart attack from the stress."

"That bad?"

"I found him attempting to mop the kitchen floor this morning at six."

Van whistled, "Must be hard for him, seeing your mom with somebody else."

"From Grandma Fassa's stories, I guess she was his first real love…" I shrugged, looking over my shoulder into the house, "I think a part of him will always love her."

"Hitomi, I---" He ran a hand through his hair nervously, his eyes darting up and meeting mine as he stepped closer.

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, because then the voice that launched a thousand children into their bedrooms crying sounded out across the yard.

"Hitomi Aston, you are _grounded_."

I didn't have to turn around.

"Hi Mommy."

* * *

Dedicated to the Teddies; Dariel, Ryuu Angel, and Starry Eyed Wonder – Thank you for being so bloody brilliant at what you do, and forever challenging me to be a better writer. May the Fanelage be with you always grins cheekily

July 7, 2005

Version 2


End file.
